This young master truly has the ambition of a hero.

So, with the idea of ​​making the most of everything, Vengeance started making popsicles in the church using sugar water, and the principle for distributing them was one popsicle per person. Vengeance could always spot those rascals in the queue who wanted a second one after receiving theirs.

Thanks to the highly popular popsicles and the nuns' smiles, the Church of Winter Gods garnered widespread praise during the sweltering summer, and the number of believers surged. However, many believers who wished to be baptized and become full-fledged monks were politely turned down by the two senior nuns who presided over the church.

The Church of Winter currently has only a dozen or so clergy members. Apart from Encho and Chigan, who serve as the chief and deputy priests, the rest of the nuns are all local middle-aged and elderly women.

After all, the actual controller behind the church was Lord Dick. His original intention in establishing the church was to curb the proliferation of cults caused by the surge in population, not to turn his territory into a "holy land" with an overly strong religious atmosphere. Therefore, he did not want the Winter God Cult to expand too quickly, and even the selection criteria for clergy excluded young adults.

You should work hard at a young age and stop thinking about being a clergyman who doesn't do any productive work.

Under Dick's deliberate control, the current Winter God Cult is indeed a mild and friendly religion, staying within the Lagug and surrounding diocese, showing no desire to expand. This makes other branches of the Holy Church feel very reassured.

Under the midday sun, people in the square were queuing in an orderly fashion to receive popsicles distributed by the church, but Sister Imbrakapp, who was deeply loved and revered by the believers, did not appear.

This inevitably disappointed those who admired the nun, but they assumed that the nun was probably too busy to personally hand out popsicles today. Little did they know that the Vengeful One himself was in the closed confessional, praying alone for the Lord, who was also deeply loved by the people, and using his own holy body to receive all the thick sins in the other's body.

The two were indeed talking about serious matters at first. When the topic turned to the recent sweltering heat, Dick, out of concern for his own people, casually asked, "Yuan Chou, if you weren't here in the Ice and Snow Church, wouldn't you feel very hot wearing such a heavy nun's habit?"

Unexpectedly, Yuanchou smiled and shook her head, indicating that she had made proper preparations to cool down. Then, in front of Dick, she pulled open the collar of her black nun's habit and revealed her unknown inner self to him.

Dick was shocked, while Resentment pursed her lips and revealed a sly smile. She keenly sensed the rapidly expanding evil power on Dick and, without saying a word, pulled him into the relatively private confessional room, preparing to personally "exorcise" him.

Since the church is only open to the public on weekends, there was no one else in the hall at the moment. The holy-looking Resentful One's face was full of pity and piety. She told Dick to sit still and not move, then knelt down on the ground and, with her silver tongue, made Dick surrender.

Under the relentless pressure of hatred, the evil within Dick was soon released in a torrent, and he trembled as he let out a low, painful groan.

What a thoroughly enjoyable exorcism! (Seriously!)

Because of her status as a nun, Resentful always had to sneak around to see her, and the two tacitly enjoyed this forbidden feeling, which resembled an affair. Resentful even went so far as to take her role-playing to the extreme in pursuit of excitement, solemnly claiming that she was "exorcising" Dick, who harbored a terrible evil power within him that needed to be cleansed periodically.

"Commander, your evil seems to have grown even stronger. I wonder if I can completely purify it, or if I'll be tainted by your evil?"

Is there a difference?

"Yes, there are some, but the latter is more difficult to clean. You wouldn't want worshippers to smell something strange in the confessional when the church is open on the weekend, would you?"

As Yuanchou spoke, he got up and straddled Dick. The space in the confessional cubicle was already small, and when the two of them hugged each other, Dick felt as if he was completely enveloped by soft flesh. The softness and milky fragrance that hit him made him want to do a one-armed big loop, and he exclaimed that this was the smell of his mother.

"Commander, am I... feeling alright?"

"It couldn't be better, how about you?"

"Your evil is about to corrupt me! But I want more..."

As the two were intensely performing the "exorcism," the front of the church suddenly opened, and two elderly nuns carried in popsicle molds, placing them less than three meters away from the confessional. Dick and Resentment instinctively held their breath.

Fortunately, the two elderly nuns were neither warriors with keen hearing nor magicians with exceptional perception, and they did not discover the man and woman hiding in the confessional. One of them looked up and around, then asked her colleague with a puzzled expression.

"Sister, where are the Lord and Sister Imbrakapp?"

"We should probably go somewhere else."

The two elderly nuns chatted casually as they waited for the popsicles to freeze. Meanwhile, in the confessional room, just inches away and separated only by a wooden door, Dick and Resentment didn't dare to breathe. Yet, this intensely stimulating tension caused Resentment to unconsciously begin to contract, squeezing Dick so tightly he almost lost control. Noticing Dick's unusual reaction, Resentment suddenly had a mischievous idea. She subtly twisted her voluptuous body, gently grinding the incredibly hot iron rod, sending Dick into a state of ecstasy.

Fortunately, the two nuns outside didn't stay long. They left after the popsicles were frozen, and Dick reached his limit at that moment. He hugged Yu Qiu's slender waist tightly and poured himself into her.

"You succubus nun, you did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"Same to you, isn't it exciting?"

She playfully stuck out her tongue at Dick, her resentment satisfied and in a great mood. However, at that moment, the two suddenly noticed a strong gaze. Turning their heads, they saw a pair of emerald green dead fish eyes staring at them through the crack in the carved wooden window of the confessional.

"stare!"

"..." x2

Dick and Resentment exchanged an awkward glance, then quickly straightened their clothes and obediently came out of the confessional.

Chapter 185: Tactical Deception

"I'm so sad... Can't you two be a little more mindful of the occasion?"

"Next time, definitely next time."

"There will be a next time!?"

Just like elementary school students caught red-handed by the headmaster for committing a crime, Dick and Yuancho, who had taken a break from their busy schedules to get together, were scolded by the furious Chigan for a full half hour before being rescued by Rita, who came to take Dick back to review official documents.

On the way back to the castle, Rita said with a forced smile.

"You really know how to have fun with a nun in a church! It's a good thing the God of Winter was asleep, otherwise even with his good temper, he would have punished you a few times."

"I did go there to discuss serious business at first."

Dick's words were not entirely an excuse for himself. He went to the church to seek out his grudge for two reasons: first, to understand the recent developments of the Church of Winter, and second, to consult his grudge in person regarding the "Special Military Operation in the North" that was to be launched later.

Although Vengeance's official identity is that of a nun, she is essentially a ship girl, and currently the strongest force at sea under Dick's command, a unique rainbow-colored aircraft carrier. With the help of her launched carrier-based aircraft, her attack range is much farther than Belfast, which relies entirely on artillery fire.

It's worth mentioning that the number of aircraft carried by the Vengeance is not the sixty aircraft of its real-world counterpart, but rather follows the game's setting of 3+3+3, a total of nine carrier-based aircraft.

However, these nine aircraft are magical creations. After deploying its ship rig, the Vengeful Spirit only needs to prepare for fifteen seconds before launching them all at once. They will disappear immediately after the attack ends, so there is no need to recall them. A second batch of nine aircraft will be generated after another fifteen seconds. Theoretically, as long as the magic supply is sufficient, the Vengeful Spirit's attacks can be repeated indefinitely.

In addition to possessing destructive power equivalent to real weapons, the attacks from carrier-based aircraft also come with magical effects granted by the enemy's own skills. The shockwaves generated by bomb and torpedo explosions inflict a "slowing down" debuff on enemy targets within the affected area.

This effect can even be stacked. Theoretically, once it reaches the ninth layer, it can completely freeze the target, ensuring that the tenth attack will hit with 100% accuracy.

Dick plans to form a second expeditionary force with allies of the Northern Alliance in mid-September to launch a "preemptive" military strike against the orc tribes deep in the wasteland. The main objective is to curb the orcs' growth and distract them from interfering with this year's autumn harvest.

Rather than waiting for the enemy to be ready to strike while guarding the long border, Dick preferred to strike first and take the initiative to show those orcs what "self-defense counterattack" meant.

Ever since learning that the orcs and elves had secretly allied themselves, the north had become Dick's biggest worry. Regardless of whether the two sides were outwardly united but inwardly harboring their own agendas, the orcs had the population, and the elves had the technology; this combination truly had the potential to grow, so it had to be suppressed.

The other allies of the Northern Alliance agreed to Dick's proposal, and everyone began to prepare for battle.

Lagug currently has a regular army of three thousand men, but there are two other thousand-man squads that are nominally under the guise of the Border Legion. They eat the grain produced in Lagug and receive pay from Dick. The Border Legion is also quite sensible and has not sent anyone to interfere, so they are completely under Dick's command.

In addition to these 5,000 fully-fledged professional soldiers, able-bodied young men in Laguge also undergo short-term military training during the off-season to prepare for conscription in wartime. Theoretically, the number of these reserve soldiers exceeds 60,000!

Time flies, and it's already the end of August. The corn in the Laguge farmland is almost ripe. Dick personally went down to the field to inspect it. He peeled back the husks of the corn, and the plump kernels inside were already turning yellow. It is estimated that they will be fully ripe in about ten days, and a bumper harvest is on the way.

Dick then activated the original contingency plan, granting the active-duty troops, who had been undergoing intensive training for the past two months, a three-day leave. Once the leave ended, the troops would be placed on high alert and, under the guise of "autumn training exercises," would assemble on the northern fjord border.

Thanks to the "Earth and Wood Magic" upgraded from earth magic, the main structures of the four new fortresses along the fjord border were recently completed, and the magic cannons that the border legion promised to allocate to them have all arrived.

Given that these magical cannons were extremely valuable items, the artillery unit responsible for operating them was comprised of personnel from the border legion who had been transferred along with the cannons. However, they were easily subdued by Dick's silver-bullet offensive shortly after their arrival. Watching the squad leader's fawning smile after receiving the money, Dick couldn't help but think to himself, "I'm incredibly good at judging people!"

However, these artillery units will not participate in the upcoming special military operations.

Before the main force began its operation, Dick's first priority was to conduct intelligence deception.

He knew that there were always spies from the Dead Tree Party operating in the shadows within his territory. After suffering several losses at Tia's hands, those guys learned their lesson and stopped causing any sabotage. Instead, they went into hiding as informants to gather intelligence. It was very difficult to keep the movement of personnel and supplies of a large army a secret.

Therefore, what Dick needs to do is not to hide his actions, but to use feints to mislead the enemy into misjudging his target, thus achieving a diversionary tactic.

Months ago, Dick dispatched the Golden Hind and the Royal Fortune, sending these two sailing ship girls back to their old ways as privateers, engaging in piracy on the open sea. All the ships heading north were, without exception, black market merchant ships going to trade with the orcs; attacking them was no problem, and they all remained silent.

This just naval blockade lasted for several months, resulting in the destruction of dozens of ships. Surprisingly, it made Dick a fortune and effectively alleviated Lagog's financial problems.

In addition to the blockade at sea, Dick would also occasionally send Belfast's escort fleet to explore the northern waters along the route they had taken during their winter expedition, intentionally landing at suitable locations to investigate, and even pretending to drive wooden stakes into the shallow sea, as if preparing to build a pier there.

These actions drew great attention from the orcs, who formed a sizable coastal patrol. Soon after, whenever a fleet approached the coast, orc cavalry would appear on the shore, keeping a close watch on the ships at sea.

Clearly, the orcs also suffered greatly during last year's expedition; they all developed PTSD.

However, Dick's planned second expedition was not intended to be a sea campaign. All of this was a tactical deception to distract the orcs and make them concentrate their forces near the eastern coastline.

Dick's real operational route was to cross the fjord and launch an attack on the wasteland from land.

In the common perception of orcs and many other northern human races, human armies are weak, only capable of fighting when they are outside of fortified defenses. This view wasn't entirely wrong in the past, because the private armies of feudal lords were indeed weak, with uneven training and equipment levels, struggling even to suppress a riot, let alone engage in open field battles with the savage and brutal orcs.

But what if the human army consists of well-trained and well-equipped professional soldiers?

Dick wouldn't say he was absolutely certain, but with several Saint-level experts, including himself, stationed in the central army, he figured he could at least put up a fight.

Chapter 186: The Port

The three-day holiday given to the army passed in the blink of an eye, just like the Qingming Festival holiday when people took time off. The next day, it was announced that a so-called "routine training exercise" would be carried out, and thousands of troops set off in a high-profile manner, heading north out of the city.

All of this was observed by "interested individuals" hidden among the people, who quietly and quickly left the scene and used their own methods to spread the message as fast as possible.

On the other side, after Dick led his troops out of the city, they headed north along the newly widened official road. In addition to 3,000 well-equipped soldiers, the troops also included 1,000 auxiliary soldiers. They were mainly responsible for logistical transportation, civil engineering work, and assisting the medical team in saving lives and treating the wounded. They would also serve as the last reserve force if necessary.

As a local lord, Dick has always attached great importance to the professionalization of his army. In the early stages, limited by his own strength, he could only pursue a "small but elite" approach. However, with the influx of a large population, the development of his territory has entered a fast track, and Dick now has the conditions to evolve his army into a "large and comprehensive" force.

In ten months, Dick's private army has quadrupled in size, growing from less than 1,500 men to more than 6,000. The equipment, organization, and training of the soldiers have also improved significantly. Even if they are not high-end combat forces, they are already the most capable lords in the entire northern region.

But Dick felt that this was not enough; he needed to further enhance his influence in the North and attract more people to come and follow him.

So in a sense, Dick was quite grateful to Ramon, whose massive invasion gave Dick a near-perfect enemy.

After the troops set off, they arrived at Newport, located on the south bank of the fjord, the following afternoon. The third of the four fortresses was built here, and it is now taking on the shape of a coastal city.

It is worth mentioning that a new shipyard was built in Xinhang in the first half of the year, but so far no new ships have been built independently, because all the slipways are occupied by captured ships waiting for repair, totaling more than 30, and one or two more are added every now and then.

These captured ships were all black ships heading to the northern wasteland to conduct illegal trade with the orcs. They were intercepted by the Golden Deer and the Royal Fortune, and then towed back to Newport by Kashino.

Although the Empire ignored the situation in the north, it at least had a clear legal provision that trading with orcs was tantamount to treason and a capital offense. Therefore, regardless of who the financiers behind these black ships were, Dick's sending men to attack them was a reasonable "patriotic act."

Some of the financiers behind the black ships tried to negotiate with Dick through intermediaries, hoping to get their ships and cargo back. They even brought up his cheap father, implying that the Duke of Best was also involved in his family's business, and warned him not to let things get out of hand.

Dick simply responded with a cold laugh to these threats and inducements.

"What? Does your big shot want to take me to court? Go ahead and sue me! If you're so capable, go and complain to the emperor and have him strip me of my title."

Dick had already investigated and found that most of the financial backers behind the Black Ships were powerful nobles from the capital or the south. They were indeed rich and influential, and they did have close ties with the Best family.

However, engaging in smuggling and having secret dealings with orcs is indeed something that cannot be brought to light. If it were exposed, even royalty would be ruined!

So Dick had actually been lenient with these old Dengs; he only robbed their ships and their cargo, but didn't expose these dirty deals. As a result, these greedy fellows refused to accept this injustice and wanted to get back the stolen goods that were already in Dick's pocket.

Haha! Don't even think about it!

The captured sailors of the Black Ships were all sent to labor camps, while the ships, after being repaired, were incorporated into Dick's merchant fleet. In six months, more than thirty ships were built, which was much faster than building new ships.

Upon arriving at the new port, Dick ordered the main force to set up camp outside the harbor, while his auxiliary troops transferred the crates of goods they had brought by horse-drawn carts to the ships that had already been repaired. Hundreds of caravans surrounded the area around the dock, causing considerable congestion and sparking much discussion on the dock.

Since its opening in the first half of the year, the new port has seen a steady stream of merchant ships from other regions choosing to dock here. Compared to other northern ports, the new port of Laguge is located on the inner side of the fjord, providing better shelter from the wind and being closer to the inland. In addition, the Chamber of Commerce offers tax breaks for imported goods to attract investment, and the port staff are law-abiding and do not engage in bribery or extortion. As a result, it has quickly attracted many maritime merchants.

When the merchants and sailors from out of town saw that a large number of fully armed soldiers had suddenly arrived at the port and were carrying large wooden crates labeled "military supplies" onto the ship, they wondered if there was going to be another war.

"Laguge's private army is really powerful. Who are they planning to attack?"

"It must be the orcs from the wasteland. They attacked last winter, and many people died in the north. Earl Best of Ragug was the main force fighting against the orcs. They're definitely going to fight back; they're here for revenge!"

"Kill! Kill all those orcs!"

No one knows who started it, but the crowd on the dock suddenly cheered and jumped for joy, cheering on the Northern Army that was about to set off. Some merchants even had their eyes light up after a moment of thought, because they felt that they had seen a business opportunity.

That very evening, several representatives from the merchant guilds sought an audience with Dick, expressing their willingness to help the Earl with his great deeds. They had excellent sourcing channels for both provisions and weapons. Whether they made money or not was a minor matter; this was a "great undertaking" concerning the glory of humanity.

However, the only person who received them was Ding An, the president of the Chamber of Commerce. Dick himself simply brushed them off, saying that he was tired from his journey and needed to rest.

As for the actual situation, it's like they're sharpening their weapons at the last minute, with absolutely no time to rest!

The arrival of Dick made the ship girls stationed at Newport as happy as if it were New Year's Day. As soon as it got dark, they dressed up in their finest clothes and formed a single column, ready to fight, and stormed straight into Dick's room. A few non-ship girls also tried to sneak in during the chaos.

Everyone's reasons were also quite valid. Sufficient "supplies" were needed before the big battle. In order for the ship girls under his command to be able to go into battle in 100% good condition, Dick, as the commander, had to take on this responsibility!

As it turns out, the door only served to make the commander think he was protected, because the ship girls all knew that a door was nothing to stop them.

Chapter 187: The Magicians Who Came to Our Door

In response to Dick's call, other allies of the Northern Alliance also arrived at Newport with their troops.

The first to arrive was the impatient and straightforward Earl Banner, who brought with him more than 2,500 soldiers and a group of mages he had "recruited".

This magic troupe consists of over eighty people, including six high-level mages, thirty-three mid-level mages, and the rest are low-level mages. Crucially, their equipment is excellent, and they even have uniform attire.

"Holy crap! Isn't that the uniform of the Imperial Capital Magic School?"

As a graduate of the magic school, Dick naturally recognized the school uniform he had worn. Moreover, he not only recognized the clothes, but also the high-ranking magicians, who were all teachers at the school. These teachers naturally recognized Dick at a glance; he was Grandor's prized student.

After the two sides met, Dick asked the teachers, somewhat bewildered, how their group had ended up in the north, and how they had been tricked by Earl Banner into coming to fight.

The teacher leading the group was named Kevin. He explained that his group was a senior students' training expedition. When they passed through Earl Banner's territory, they learned that the northern lords were preparing to unite to fight the orcs. They volunteered to contribute their modest efforts to the cause of the northern people fighting against the orcs.

This was a new educational reform implemented by the magic school after Dick graduated. It involved grouping senior students nearing graduation into teams, led by teachers, to leave the comfortable and stable campus and go out to gain practical experience and accumulate some impressive achievements, so as to prevent them from becoming arrogant and bookish.

It is worth mentioning that the one who promoted this reform was Dick's senior master, Behemoth. The old magician would occasionally return to the capital to look up information in the Grand Library and catch up on his dwindling class time.

He noticed that in recent years, his students were clearly influenced by his junior, Grandor, and were increasingly leaning towards the theoretical approach. This could indeed effectively improve the research capabilities of newcomers and better replenish the National Magic Academy with fresh blood, but not all graduates of magic schools would go on to become researchers at the Magic Academy; a considerable number would join the military and become combat mages.

However, the tactics courses in the school are too theoretical. Before leaving school, students have at most participated in some competitive spell duels and have almost no real combat experience.